THE PAST: While they've been the most dominant team over the past eight years, Melbourne's legacy will be tarnished by the salary cap scandal in which they were stripped of two premierships. There's no doubting what Craig Bellamy has built at the club, and their 2011 premiership proved their worth.

THE FUTURE: The immediate future of the Storm is in good hands, but over the next few years Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Bellamy will quit. They have some bright young players but it will be interesting to see if rugby league in Melbourne can survive without a successful Storm side.

MANLY SEA EAGLES

Coaches: Des Hasler, Geoff Toovey

Grand finals: 4

Premierships: 2

Finals series: 7/7

Best finish: 2nd

Worst finish: 8th

THE PAST: It was a return to the glory days for the Sea Eagles over the past eight years. They built a club around the Stewart brothers, Anthony Watmough, Steve Matai, Jamie Lyon and Jason King, winning two premierships. They are the only team to have played in every finals series in the past eight years and have the best attacking record.

THE FUTURE: There's no doubt Manly can build their club around Kieran Foran, Daly Cherry-Evans and Peta Hiku over the next eight years. Those three will be their core and if they can find a good hooker to replace Matt Ballin when he retires, they will remain one of the competition heavyweights for years to come. If they lose Cherry-Evans and the club continues to crumble internally, things could start to unravel.

BRISBANE BRONCOS

Coaches: Wayne Bennett, Ivan Henjak, Anthony Griffin

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 5/7

Best finish: 3rd (2011)

Worst finish: 12th (2013)

THE PAST: The Broncos have fallen in the preliminary final twice in the past five years. They are one of the most consistent teams in the competition, but given the proud history of the club there would no doubt be a feeling from within that they should have won another competition since 2006.

THE FUTURE: The club has signed foundation coach Wayne Bennett for next season in a hope of returning to their glory days. They have a very good crop of juniors in the system and will welcome Anthony Milford and likely Darius Boyd next season. The Broncos should be regularly challenging for the top four in the coming years.

SOUTH SYDNEY

Coaches: Jason Taylor, John Lang, Michael Maguire

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 3/7

Best finish: 2nd (2013)

Worst finish: 14th (2008)

THE PAST: The signing of Michael Maguire as head coach in 2012 could be remembered as one of the best decisions in the club's proud history. The club was a rabble before he arrived and they had only played finals football once since 1989. Maguire has led them to three straight finals series. Under Maguire's watch they have reached two preliminary finals but anything short of a premiership this year will be deemed as a failure.

THE FUTURE: The Rabbitohs once struggled to attract talent to Redfern, but they have no such difficulty now. They have a strong junior base and have unearthed Adam Reynolds, George Burgess, Alex Johnston, Dylan Walker, Kyle Turner and Luke Keary, who will ensure the club remains a force for the next decade. They lose Sam Burgess and Ben Te'o at the end of the year but while Maguire is at the helm they will be fighting for premierships.

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA

Coaches: Nathan Brown, Wayne Bennett, Steve Price, Paul McGregor

Grand finals: 1

Premierships: 1

Finals series: 4/7

Best finish: 1st

Worst finish: 14th

THE PAST: The reign of Wayne Bennett will be regarded as one of the best and worst things to happen to St George Illawarra. He delivered what he promised - a long awaited premiership - but he left them in a mess they are still trying to clean up. The Dragons won two minor premierships in that time and some fans would argue they probably should have won two premierships over that period given their dominance.

THE FUTURE: It all starts with the appointment of the next coach. The Dragons have one of the best backlines in the competition and are young enough to remain together for at least the next five years. Gareth Widdop can be the glue that holds the team together over the next eight years but the Dragons won't retain their status as competition heavyweights unless they bolster their forward pack.

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS

Coaches: Steve Folkes, Kevin Moore, Jim Dymock, Des Hasler

Grand finals: 1

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 4/7

Best finish: 1st (2012)

Worst finish: 16th (2008)

THE PAST: It's been a rollercoaster ride for Bulldogs fans in recent years. They have won a wooden spoon, they have won a minor premiership and lost a grand final. Every time they look like settling into a rhythm something happens to upset the balance. They have chopped and changed their roster more than any other team during the past eight years but Hasler has settled on a core group of players to lead them into the future.

THE FUTURE: It's hard to see the Bulldogs being a premiership force until they sign a fullback that can mix it with the best No.1's in the business. The Bulldogs have one of the best forward packs but unless they add some potency to their backline they will struggle to go head-to-head with the best.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

Coaches: Chris Anderson, Brad Fittler, Brian Smith, Trent Robinson

Grand finals: 2

Premierships: 1

Finals series: 3/7

Best finish: 1st (2013)

Worst finish: 16th (2009)

THE PAST: Considering the Roosters have played in two grand finals in the past seven years, the fact they have only reached the finals three times shows just how inconsistent they have been. They did well to reach the grand final in 2010 but there was nothing lucky about their premiership success in 2013.

THE FUTURE: Just like South Sydney and Michael Maguire, the Roosters have found a coach to build their club around. This year will be their best shot at another title for some time with Sonny Bill Williams and Anthony Minichiello departing at the end of the season. With Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jake Friend, Aidan Guerra and Boyd Cordner at the club, success will continue.

THE PAST: You could argue the Warriors should have also won a competition by now. They have always had plenty of talent but just like the Tigers and Cowboys, they have underachieved. The Warriors produce rocks or diamonds, there's been no in between.

THE FUTURE: When you've got Shaun Johnson, Konrad Hurrell and Sam Tomkins you will never be short of points. If the Warriors can continue to develop strong juniors and find a way to win on the road they will win a premiership in the next few seasons.

WESTS TIGERS

Coaches: Tim Sheens, Mick Potter

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 2/7

Best finish: 3rd (2010)

Worst finish: 15th (2013)

THE PAST: The Wests Tigers should have won their second premiership by now. When you look back over the past eight years, the Tigers are probably the team that many would consider as the biggest underachievers. They promised so much but delivered very little. The fact that they have only played in two finals series over the past seven years is astonishing.

THE FUTURE: It's a murky future at the Wests Tigers with the uncertainty around the coach for next season. But given they have unearthed James Tedesco, Luke Brooks, Curtis Sironen, Mitchell Moses and David Nofoaluma in the past couple of years, they should win at least one premiership if the core of that group remain together for the best part of the next decade.

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

Coaches: Graham Murray, Ian Millward, Neil Henry, Paul Green

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 4/7

Best finish: 3rd (2007)

Worst finish: 15th (2008, 2010)

THE PAST: The Cowboys should have won a premiership in the past eight years or at least played in another grand final after the 2005 heartache. Their inability to play on the road has been costly and they never took full advantage of the Johnathan Thurston-Matt Bowen combination. They were robbed by dodgy refereeing in the 2012 and 2013 finals.

THE FUTURE: The Cowboys have a three-year window to win a competition with their current roster. Paul Green has done a great job in such a short time but if the Cowboys don't win a premiership with Thurston at the club the era will be remembered as a failure.

PENRITH PANTHERS

Coaches: Matt Elliott, Steve Georgallis, Ivan Cleary

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 1/7

Best finish: 2nd (2010)

Worst finish: 16th (2007)

THE PAST: There hasn't been a lot to smile about at the foot of the mountains since the 2003 premiership. They had one good season in 2010 but faltered in the finals. Since Phil Gould and Ivan Cleary took control the Panthers have been rebuilding from the ground up and their five-year plan is well on track.

THE FUTURE: The Panthers had to buy players to be competitive again, but now they are set to reap the benefits of the juniors they have developed over the past couple of seasons. Among Matt Moylan, Bryce Cartwright, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Isaah Yeo, the future looks bright for Penrith, who should be regularly challenging for titles in years to come.

GOLD COAST TITANS

Coaches: John Cartwright

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 2/7

Best finish: 3rd (2009)

Worst finish: 16th (2011)

THE PAST: The Titans came into the competition in 2007 and have only reached a disappointing two finals series. They have always had a strong forward pack but have lacked the backline to compete with the stronger teams. They still have plenty of work to do off the field to establish themselves on the Gold Coast.

THE FUTURE: The Titans will have a new coach after they parted ways with foundation coach John Cartwright last weekend. They don't have a host of juniors bursting into the top grade and are relying on seasoned campaigners to get the job done. It's hard to see the Titans winning a competition in the next decade.

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

Coaches: Brian Smith, Rick Stone, Wayne Bennett

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 3/7

Best finish: 7th (2009, 2013)

Worst finish: 15th (2007)

THE PAST: Newcastle have underachieved in recent seasons. They've had a good enough football team to make regular finals appearances, but they've only just scraped into the top eight three times. Wayne Bennett was meant to produce a premiership but the Knights fell a game short of the grand final last year and failed miserably this season.

THE FUTURE: Rick Stone has been handed the task of resurrecting the club in a region that appears to have lost touch with its team. The Knights have a very strong junior base but their current roster is ageing rapidly. It may take a couple of seasons to rebuild but they will be a force within three years.

CANBERRA RAIDERS

Coaches: Neil Henry, David Furner, Ricky Stuart

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 3/7

Best finish: 6th (2008, 2012)

Worst finish: 15th (2011)

THE PAST: Former coach David Furner had ample opportunity but unfortunately the Raiders could never find consistency. The relied on late season surges to reach the finals but they have never been a genuine premiership threat. This will be the first year since the 1980s they missed the finals two years straight.

THE FUTURE: The immediate future doesn't look bright for the Raiders. They have a weak roster and are unable to attract players. They have always had good juniors but they continue to lose them to other clubs. Ricky Stuart has his work cut out for him if they are to be a title threat in the next five years.

CRONULLA SHARKS

Coaches: Ricky Stuart, Shane Flanagan, Peter Sharp, James Sheppard

Grand finals: 0

Premierships: 0

Finals series: 3/7

Best finish: 3rd (2008)

Worst finish: 15th (2009)

THE PAST: Over the past eight years the Sharks have scored fewer points than any other team in the competition. Even when they were competing in finals football they always struggled in attack. They don't have the resources to compete with the competition's best and have struggled to attract talent to the club.

THE FUTURE: It's unclear how Cronulla's future will look with the ASADA cloud hanging over their head, but with a weak junior base and a struggling roster it doesn't look like getting better any time soon. Shane Flanagan has a big job on his hands trying to break the club's premiership drought.

THE PAST: Given the juniors who were coming through the ranks eight years ago, Parramatta should have been one of the best teams in the years to follow. But poor recruitment and their inability to retain their best young talent caused them to go through five coaches and two consecutive wooden spoons. Reaching the 2009 grand final on the back of Jarryd Hayne magic gave the club a false sense of where it was really at.

THE FUTURE: Brad Arthur is starting to do what the club should have done eight years ago - build from within. He's had to take a punt on some of the club's young talent and it is paying off. He has proven that he is a capable coach, overachieving in his first year in charge. The Eels are on track for their most wins in a season since 2005 and if they can keep Hayne at the club for the rest of his career, regular success may return to Parramatta under Arthur's watch.

LADDER - Round 1, 2007 - Round 22, 2014

Team

Points

Wins

Losses

Draws

For

Against

Melbourne*

290

129

57

2

4324

2720

Manly

279

124

63

1

4393

3111

Broncos

232

100

86

2

3959

3689

Rabbitohs

231

100

87

1

4183

3852

Dragons

225

97

90

1

3622

3260

Bulldogs**

224

98

90

0

3989

3971

Roosters

216

92

94

2

3891

4037

Warriors

215

91

94

3

3996

4003

Tigers

212

91

97

0

3943

4291

Cowboys

206

88

100

0

4142

4091

Panthers

202

85

101

2

3963

4268

Titans

202

86

102

0

3566

4163

Knights

201

85

102

1

3742

4086

Raiders

186

78

110

0

3920

4520

Sharks

185

77

110

1

3255

3919

Eels

180

74

112

2

3512

4419

* Includes points that would have been awarded if they weren't stripped for salary cap breaches

** Deducted two points for having too many players on the field in 2009